Live Dead Joy by Dick Brogden

Author:Dick Brogden
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Salubris Resources

KHATI HINDUS OF INDIA (1,596,000; 0.0% EVANGELICAL)

PRAY THAT CHRISTIANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WOULD WORK TOGETHER TO REACH THE KHATI AND THAT THE KHATI WOULD BE JOINED TO THE BODY OF CHRIST (JOHN 17:20–23).

JULY 7: DO NOT PRAY

PSALM 38; JEREMIAH 7–9; MATTHEW 10; ACTS 17

Because wrath and mercy meet in Jesus, we do not have an accurate understanding of Him if we make no place for wrath. To remove wrath from God is to reduce God’s nature, and that is blasphemy. Jeremiah was probably stunned when God said: “Do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you” (Jer. 7:16). There is a point where mercy must be justified by wrath; a point where brothers must be handed over to Satan for the saving of their souls (1 Cor. 5:5); a point where we stop trying either practically or spiritually to help—for our help is getting in the way of what God is trying to do.

In Jeremiah’s context the people had crossed the red line for three primary reasons: ongoing disobedience, blatant hypocrisy, and child sacrifice. When those in covenant with God make a habit of disobeying Him, of singing His praise in church while serving their flesh elsewhere, and of sacrificing their children to advance themselves, God pours out His fury (Jer. 7:20). The sins of sixth-century BC Israel are eerily similar to the sins of God’s people today. We are no better than our forefathers, and we will not escape a similar fate. Mercy triumphs through judgment. There can be no mercy without wrath, and some maladies are so severe that the only way to cure them is to expose them to God’s fury. One of the most difficult and needed responses of love might be to step back from helping, stop praying people out of trouble, and allow their utter end to force a new beginning.

Non-prayer is not only a rough Old Testament method. In the New Testament Jesus declared: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matt. 10:34). Jesus was referring to contention within the family. Some relationships cannot be reconciled until both parties embrace truth and justice. When we pray, we are seeking resolution to a problem. We pray about problems; we praise about victories. Jesus reminded us that some problems should not be resolved—for the cost of their resolution can only be accomplished by some injury to the character and truth of God. His character must remain more important than the resolution of conflict. We must learn to trust Him to work through wrath. He knows that war and wrath are a last resort but a necessary one. Peace and resolution are not the primary aim of the follower of Jesus; our primary aim is the defense and advance of His holy name. We must have the spiritual fortitude to allow others to suffer—and to live with the tension it causes within us—that they might be redeemed and God’s character preserved.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.